Emerging and Infectious Diseases

ServiceMaster Restore has the knowledge and expertise to help you reduce and contain the spread of infectious and emerging diseases in your home or place of business.

The flu season, along with the outbreak of a newer pathogen, the coronavirus (COVID-19), offers an opportunity to reinforce the importance of having a clean, safe, and healthy environment. Our experience and training afford us the ability to promote safe practices for infection prevention at your property.

Download this step-by-step guide to remind your family or employees the importance of hand washing in reducing the spread of infection.

For business owners, high touch items are among the most pathogen heavy surfaces in your facility. Download this checklist to raise awareness of routine cleaning and disinfecting of these items.

ServiceMaster Restore is ready to provide pre-cautionary and specialty restoration services through a complete disinfection process. Download this outline on the general scope for pre-cautionary cleaning.

While we hope it will not be necessary, we are qualified and equipped with the required protocols and processes should any pathogen outbreak occur within your home or facility. Aligned with Health Canada recommendations, ServiceMaster has post exposure cleaning solutions for all types of illnesses as well as COVID-19. Download this document for an outline of the general scope of work for post exposure cleaning

What are Emerging and Infectious Diseases?

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) defines infectious diseases as “illnesses caused by germs (such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi) that enter the body, multiply, and cause an infection.” Depending on the disease, there are different ways that it can be spread:

From one person to another

Through germs carried in air, water, food, or soil

By insects, ticks, or animals

Emerging diseases are infections that have increased recently or are threatening to increase in the near future. These infections could be

What is the difference between cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing?

Often times when it comes to the words clean, sanitize and disinfect they are used interchangeably. However, there is a significant difference between these terms and knowing what they mean can help keep your home or workplace a clean and safe environment.

Cleaning physically removes germs, dirt and impurities from surfaces or objects. It involves using soap or detergent and water along with a mechanical action such as wiping to remove germs from surfaces. Cleaning does not kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.

Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects. In order to kill germs properly, chemicals need to be applied according to the label as each product is different. Disinfecting does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.

Sanitizing lowers the number of germs on surfaces or objects to a safe level, as judged by public health standards or requirements. In order for a product to be considered a sanitizer, it must reduce bacteria on a surface by at least 99.9 percent. This process works by either cleaning or disinfecting surfaces or objects to lower the risk of spreading infection.

What kind of virus is COVID-19?

There are various pathogenic microorganisms that can be infectious, which have differing levels of difficulty to inactivate. Many of the recent emerging pathogens we have seen are enveloped viruses, including Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Enveloped viruses are more susceptible to disinfectants, so they are less difficult to inactivate. This also means, however, that they are easier to spread and re-contaminate.

What are simple, everyday actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses?

Follow WHO and Health Canada recommendations to help break the cycle of infection including using appropriate hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and social distancing.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Avoid touching your nose, mouth, and eyes with unwashed hands.

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are unavailable, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

When should I call in a professional?

If you need help maintaining routine cleanliness conditions, or if you believe you or your facility/property has been exposed to someone with an infectious disease, you may want to call in a professional like ServiceMaster Restore to disinfect.

How can ServiceMaster Restore help?

Our expert technicians are trained to clean first to break organic loads and remove gross soiling. Then they sanitize or disinfect as appropriate.

When we do this, we follow the guidelines set in place by health professionals such as WHO and Health Canada. There are many methods of disinfection and you can be assured that your technician is trained to do each in the recommended manner. Our technicians also use appropriate PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) with your security and privacy in consideration.

Note: It is important to keep in mind that COVID-19 is a new and emerging pathogen. Regulators are just beginning to understand COVID-19 — how it spreads, the incubation period, length and severity of illness — knowledge that will develop over time.